Terrible legacy of a decade of war: 500 troops a month seek mental help as endless fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq takes its toll

• New study reveals impact of conflicts on UK's hard-pressed Armed Forces
• 1,472 new cases of troops needing treatment in first three months of 2012
• Female personnel twice as likely to suffer ill-health than male counterparts
• First figures compiled since launch of MoD's 'Don't Bottle It Up' campaign

By Mark Nicol

PUBLISHED: 22:55 GMT, 7 July 2012 | UPDATED: 23:48 GMT, 7 July 2012

Nearly 500 military personnel a month are asking to be treated for traumatic disorders after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The impact of a decade of conflict on Britain’s hard-pressed Armed Forces is revealed in new Ministry of Defence figures.

A study of the 1,472 new cases of Servicemen and women seeking help in the first three months of the year shows some clear trends. Female personnel are twice as likely to suffer mental ill-health, and lower ranks are more vulnerable than officers.

The figures are the first to be compiled since the launch of the ‘Don’t Bottle It Up’ campaign, an initiative by the Ministry of Defence intended to encourage more soldiers, sailors and airmen to seek help for mental or emotional issues.

The campaign is intended to break the stigma around these issues. According to previous reports, soldiers have suffered ridicule and contempt from their colleagues for admitting they are struggling to cope.

FULL STORY: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170353/Afghanistan-Iraq-50...